We’ve had vertical gardens and basement farms for some time now, in our cities, but now landscaping has taken on a whole new dimension. With 3D printers and bio-engineered shrubs and trees, terraced gardens and leafy lanes can be laid out by the robots, straight from the architect’s designs.

What’s more, genetically altered algae are used to construct bio solar cells that form part of the leaf structure, harvesting solar power from panels that look and act like, well, leaves – nature’s very own solar cell.

An integrated approach to creating the streets, sidewalks and boulevards means that construction and landscaping are delivered simultaneously, and cities are green, and producing clean energy, almost as soon as they are built.

Vertical city gardens were first pioneered in Italy, but the architects are in hot demand in China, where the authorities are determined to create world-leading smart and green cities for the enormous urban population. Combining that goal with energy self-sufficiency is the obvious thing to do, and ‘water from air’ membranes are included to keep the printed plants hydrated.

Modified ivy clings to the walls, removing toxic molecules from the atmosphere, and keeping the air fresh and easy to breathe. With landscaped streets and biological buildings, the city becomes a living, breathing organism, contributing to that most sought-after Chinese commodity – harmony.

The new forest has come to town.